Writing To Learn
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126
九五品
仅1件
作者William Zinsser 著
出版社HarperCollins US
出版时间1993-06
装帧平装
上书时间2023-09-04
商品详情
- 品相描述:九五品
图书标准信息
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作者
William Zinsser 著
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出版社
HarperCollins US
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出版时间
1993-06
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ISBN
9780062720405
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定价
126.00元
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装帧
平装
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开本
其他
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纸张
其他
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页数
272页
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正文语种
英语
- 【内容简介】
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ChapterOnel.HermesandthePeriodicTableAsaboyIspentfouryearsataboardingschoolinMassachusettscalledDeerfieldAcademythathadtwolegendsattachedtoit.Thefirstwasitsheadmaster,FrankL.Boyden.Whenhewasayoungmanjustoutofcollege,in1902,heacceptedapositionthatonlyateacherdesperateforafirstjobmighthavetaken:runningamoribundacademyinthetinyvillageofDeerfield.Theschoolhadsofewboysthatthenewheadmasterhadtoplayonthefootballandbaseballteamshimself.BythetimeIgotthere,inthemid-1930s,FrankBoydenhadbuiltDeerfieldintooneofthebestsecondaryschoolsinthecountry,andwhenheretired,in1968,hisplaceinAmericaneducationsecure,hehadbeenheadmasterforsixty-sixyears.Duringallthoseyearshealsocoachedthefootball,basketballandbaseballteams,continuingasanoctogenariantorapoutsharpgroundersforinfieldpracticebeforeeverygame.Hisfavoritebaseballstrategywasthesqueezeplay--amark,perhaps,ofhisYankeepracticality.HewasanunusuallysmallmanwithaplainNewEnglandface,slicked-downblackhair,andmetal-rimmedglasses;nobodywouldhavenoticedhiminacrowdorpickedhimoutasaleader.Butthreegenerationsofboyswereshapedforlifebyhisvalues,andIwasoneofthem.Thesecondlegendwashiswife,HelenChildsBoyden.Atall,bonywomanwithafaceevenplainerthanherhusband's,sheworeherblackhairtiedinabunandshepeeredoutattheworldthroughthickglasses,triumphingovereyesightsobadthatitwouldhaveimmobilizedapersonofweakerwill.HelenChildshadalsocometoDeerfieldasayoungteacher,freshoutofSmithCollegewithasciencedegree.ShemarriedFrankBoydenin1907andformorethansixtyyearswasastrengtheningpresenceinhislifeandinthelifeoftheschool.Shewasbestknown,however,forherseniorcourseinchemistry.Thelegendwasthatshecouldteachchemistrytoanybody.Asitturnedout,shecouldn'tteachittome.Thefaultwasundoubtedlymine.I'msureIdidn'twanttolearnchemistry.ProbablyIhadalsopersuadedmyselfthatIcouldn'tlearnchemistry,oranyofthehardsciences.Thosesubjectswereforallthosepeoplewhohadanaptitudeforthem--theoneswhocarriedaslideruleandcouldtakearadioapart.Iwasaliberalartssnob,illiterateaboutthephysicalworldIlivedin,incuriousabouthowthingsworked.ThecoursesIfeltmostcomfortablewithwereEnglishandlanguages,andinmyextracurricularhoursIindulgedmyothertwoloves--playingbaseballandwritingfortheschoolnewspaper.IdidwhatcameeasiestandavoidedwhatImightnotbeabletodowell.MyfavoritelanguagewasLatin.Ittransportedmebacktotheclassicalworld,andyetitwasanythingbutdead-thousandsofitsrootswerealiveandwellinEnglish;infact,nosubjecthasbeenmoreusefultomeasawriterandaneditor.ItookLatinforthreeyearsatDeerfielduntiltherewerenomorecourseslefttotake,finallygettingbeyondCaesar'sdrearywarsandCicero'sprimorationstoVirgil's"Aeneid"andHorace'sodes,finallydiscoveringthatthewonderfullanguagealsohadawonderfulliterature.Myteacherinthatliberatingthirdyearwasamansovenerablethatheseemedtobeaschoolmasterfromthenineteenthcentury.Recallinghimnow,IthinkofpicturesofDarwinasanoldman.CharlesHuntingtonSmithhadsilkywhitehair,awhitemustacheandawhitegoatee,andheworetheblacksuitandhighcollarbefittinghisageanddignity.Buthiseyeswereyoung,andsowerehispassionsforwhathetaught.HehadturnedhisclassroomintoasmallcornerofancientRome.LargeframedphotographsoftheForumandtheColosseumhungonthewalls,andhehadalsosentawayforplasterreproductionsofsomeofthegreatstatuesofantiquity.Hermesontiptoe,beckoningthegods,wasonhisdesk,andtheWingedVictorywasnearby,stillsendinghermessageaboutbeautyandlineacrossthecenturies.Mr.Smithwasobviouslyawareofthepowerexertedbytheiconsthatinhabittheclassroomsofourchildhood;whenIwasinItalyduringWorldWarII,thefirsttimeIgotafewdaysoffIhitchhikedtoRometoseetheForum,thoughthedistancewasgreatandthehoursIcouldspendtherewereshort.Inmysenioryearrealitycaughtupwithme:IhadtotakeMrs.Boyden'schemistry.IrememberherclassroomalmostasvividlyasMr.Smith's.Icanstillsmellitsacridsmells,alientomyhumanistnose.Icanstillseetheretortsandbeakersandotherstrangelyshapedvesselsdesignedformeasuringwhatevertheyweredesignedtomeasure.Buttheiconthatdominatesmymemoryisthehugechartoftheperiodictableoftheelementsthathungatthefrontoftheroom.Thosecrypticlettersandnumbers,soneatlyarrangedintheirboxesandcolumns,weretheHermesandVenusofthechemistryclass--thegodswhoselawsandwhimswouldruleourlives.Eachboxcontaineditsowntremendousstoryofnaturalforcesworkingoutanordainedpattern.Whatcouldthatstorypossiblybe?Ineverfoundout.Theperiodictablecontinuestorebukemeformyindolence.Mrs.BoydenhaddevisedateachingmethodthatIrememberasslightlycutebutthatobviouslyworkedforthreegenerationsofboys.Ithadsomethingtodowithonemoleculejoininghandswithanotherandgoingofftoformadifferentcombination.Imusthaveresistedtheselittleromances,forbyaboutAprilsomeoneinauthoritybegantothinktheunthinkable:Iwouldflunkthecollegeentranceexaminchemistry.ThiswouldnotonlyruinmychancesofgettingintoPrinceton;itwouldbesmirchDeerfield'sproudrecordofplacingitsseniorsinAmerica'sbestcolleges.
- 【作者简介】
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WilliamZinsserhasbeenamentorforcountlesspeoplewhowanttowritewithclarityandconfidence.HiseighteenbooksincludetheclassicOnWritingWell,whichhassoldalmost1.5millioncopies.HenowteachesattheNewSchoolandattheColumbiaGraduateSchoolofJournalism.
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